Selector valve assembly



1947- J. A. LAUCK EI'AL 42,431,944 SELECTOR VALVE ASSEIBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 File d Inch 6, 1944 NRIMW J. A. LAUCK ETAL 2,431,944

s'xnzc'roa mm: Assmu Filed larch 6, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/an ers.-

Patented Dec. 2, 1947- .lohn' A. Lauck, South Euclid," Ohio, assigno Euclid, and Ray G.- Holt,

by mesne assignments, 1.

to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application MM, 6, 1944, Serial no. 525,268

lectively delivering operating a continuously operating fluid the generator at such times as" operation of the lator for the purpose of,operatingthe-variousi strumentalities about the aircraft; suchrarrang ments have beentfound to have certai-n ery' satisfactory operating oharacteristi sanQ principal object of this invention toyprgv novel arrangement makingpossiblevtheelimina tion of the accumulator and associated intricate unloading valve and in lieu thereof,'deliver presa sure fluid from the continuously operating pres-'- sure fluid generator throughaspecial selector and unloading valve arrangement to the pressure responsive motive means to be operated thereby.

A more particular object is the provision of an arrangement of the-present type whichis selectively effective to direct the pressure fluid from the constantlyoperating pressure fluid generator to a the pressure responsive motive means, at such times asitfis' desiredto operate the same, and at other times to unload the pressure generator or in other words,-provide for the free and unobstructed flowof ipressure from the outlet of the pressure generator back to the inlet thereof. Another particular object is the provision of a selector valve assembly effective by the operation of a single manual lever to a selected position to effect the building up of the outlet pressure from the fluid pressure generator and the selective delivery thereof to the inlet of a pressure responsive motive meansand the return'thereof; to the inlet of said generator, together with the provision or an arrangement effective upon the delivery to said pressure responsive motive means of a predetermined value of pressure to cause the returnof the manual lever to its neutral position, the shutting olT of pressure communication to the motive means and the unloading of the pressure generator.

A still further object is the arrangement of a plurality valve assembliesin series in the operator may turn on a provision of a special of the abovewselector plurality of the manual levers at the same time and the responsive motive means will be operated in a. predetermined sequence without any over-lapping of the operation thereof which might lower the operating pressure delivered by said pressure generator be low a safe level.

The above and other objects, advantages, and uses of my invention will become apparent from pressure .fluid from; pressuregenerator' to a pressure fluid responsive motor-and unloading" such a manner that 1a readingoi the -iollowing specification taken in connection; with} the accompanying drawings which term a partthereof and wherein:

,l=.i g, 1 i a schematic view of a typical system ncorporating anem bodiment of the'present inifies: r

aken substantiallyon the line 2,2 of Fig. 3 and one preferred embodiment of the 'inven Figs-31$: a transverse cross-sectional bstanuall nau ea-s of. Fig. 2; t Fflg,-4 is a broken away sectional view taken ltantially on line I4 4 of Fig: 2, bringing out "Fig; 5 is an eleva nalvi'ew showing the several positions towhich'the manuallever may be. operated to effect selectlveToperation'of the pressure responsive motor. Referring in greater; detail to the figures of, the drawing and first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the present invention contemplates essentially the provision of a constantly driven pressure fluid generator I ll delivering through a conduit I2 to a special distributor valve assembly indicated generally at It; efiective to selectively direct pressure through conduits l5 and I So to a pressure responsive motor or motors indicated generally at l5 for operationin selected directions and return pressure fluid through conduits and 20 to the sump tank 22 from which it may be again picked up by conduit 24 for return-to pressure fluid generator I 0.

The present invention is particularly directed toward the novel arrangement composing the distributor valve assembly I and its contemplated mode ofvcoaction with the constantl driven pressure fluid generator and pressure responsive mtor I6. V

- Pressuredistributor valve assembly I4 is efiective to either completely unload the pressure from the outletof pressure fluid generator I permitting the free flow thereof back to sump tank 22 or alternatively to cause the pressure of the fluid/ delivered by the fluid generator It) to be built up to a suiflclent value to operate the pressure responsive motive means l6 and selectively delivering this pressure fluid to either side or the motive means for operationin the desired direction, the

' pressure fluid on the other side of the motive means being conducted back to the sump tank 22.

Referring to Figs.- 1 through it will be seen that distributor valve It includes a housing 26 having an inlet 28, a flrst outlet 30 leading back to sump tank 22 and a second outlet 3| leading to an additional distributor valve unit 4 of view taken similar construction and in series with distributor valve unit M. A first pressure delivery valve 32 directs pressure fluid throughconduit iii to motive means l6, while a first pressure fluid return valve 34 returns pressure fluid from the other side of motive means l6 through conduit la,'f1rst outlet 30 and conduit If! for operation of the motive means in one direction. A second pressure fluid delivery valve 32a is effective when open to deliver pressure through conduit We to the pressure responsive motivemeans l6 for op eration in the opposite direction'while a second pressure fluid'return valve 34a is effective when open to return pressure fluid from the motive means 16 throughco-nduit l5 first outlet 30 and conduit If! to the sump tank 22. The respective pairs of delivery and return valves are alternately operable depending upon the direction in which it is desired to operate the pressure responsive motive means Hi. It is important to note that when pressure fluid is not to be delivered to the pressure responsive motive means i5, all of the delivery and return valves are closed to lock or entrap such fluid as has been delivered to the respective opposite sides of the motive means to prevent the movement thereof in either direction. It is only when it is desired to operate the motive means l6 that the selected delivery and return valves are operated and then these valves are maintained open only until the desired movement of the motive mean has been accomplished whereupon all of these valves are closed to entrap the fluid on the opposite sides of the motive means and lock the same in position.

In order to make possible the above operation of the delivery and return valves and to accomplish this with a direct delivery of pressure fluid for a constantly operating pressure fluid generator, it is necessary to provide means taking care of two controlling factors. First, the generator must be relieved of substantially all back pressure except at such times as actual work operation of the pressure responsive motive means 16 is required. Secondly, at such time as operation of the motive means is required, it is necessary that the generated pressure be built up to a value effective to drive the motive means. To accomplish this function, there is provided an unloading valve 36 and a special arrangement for operating this valve in correlated relation to the delivery and return valve which arrangement takes into consideration the above factors. A cam shaft 38 has a manually adjustable lever 49 drivingly connected with one end thereof so that an operator may move this lever arcuately from a central or neutral position to either of two selected positions designated up and down on Fig. 5, against the action of return spring 40a. This cam shaft is formed with a first cam 42 effective upon the operation of the manual lever 40 to the up position for operating pressure delivery valve 32 to the open position and efiective upon the alternate movement of manual lever 9 to the down position to open return valve 34a to the open position thereof. A second cam M on cam shaft 38 is simultaneously operable with the operation of manual cam lever 50 to likewise selectively operate pressure delivery valve 32a or pressure return valve M. It will be noted that earns 62 and i i operate only one of the respective valves associated therewith, while leaving the other in closed position. It will be further noted that cams t2 and M effect the return of all of the delivery and flow return valves to closed position and the maintenance of the same in 4 such closed position when manual lever 40 is in the center or neutral position thereof. A third cam 46 is formed on cam shaft 38 in such a manner that when manual lever ill is moved to non.- tral position this cam is effective to open unloadingvalve 36 and maintain the same in such open position to provide for free flow of fluid from the generator outlet back to the sump tank or generator inlet. Movement of manual lever 40 to either the up or the down position thereof on either side of neutral is effective to cause the closing of unloading valve 36 and the building up of pressure delivered by pressure generator to the value necessary for the operation of the pressure responsive motive means Hi.

In order that the manual lever 40 may be moved to either of its operating positions and require no further attention from the pilot or operator, there is provided a special arrangement for maintaining the lever in the operated position until a sumciently high pressure is generated by the pressure generator to indicate that the desired movement of the pressure responsive motive means it has been accomplished, whereupon the manual selector lever 40 is automatically returned to the neutral position effecting the reopening of the unloading valve 36 and the closing and maintenance in closed position of all of the delivery and return valves to thus entrap the pressure fluid on both sides of the pressure responsive motive means l6 and lock the same in the position to which it has been moved. Cam shaft 38 is further formed with a plurality of sockets or recesses disposed arcuately thereabout in positions corresponding to the several positions of lever 40 these including recess 48a corresponding to the up position of lever Ml, recess 58b corresponding to the neutral position, and recess 48c corresponding to the down position of cam shaft 38. En gageable with these respective recesses is a detent or plunger 50 urged in the direction of cam shaft 38 by means of compression spring 52. For

the purpose of withdrawing plunger 50 from the detent socket there is provided a piston 54 operable in a cylinder 56. Passage 58 places piston 54 in communication with the inlet manifold 25a to render piston 54 responsive to the pressure built up in the inlet manifold. Compression coil spring 52 is adjustable by means of nut assembly 60 to predetermine the pressure in response to which piston 54 will withdraw detent plunger 50 from the respective sockets 48a and itle. The value of pressure for which control compression spring 52 is set, is sufhciently in excess of the normal value of the pressure required to operate pressure responsive motive means It with the requisite factor of safety, the development of such pressure indicating that the motive means has performed its wcrk and reached the end of the required travel thereof whereupon piston 54 operates to withdraw detent or plunger 56 from the associated restraining socket rendering return spring iDa effective to move manual control lever 40 to neutral position.

To further facilitate the operation of the valves by means of the cams 42, 4d, 46 requiring only a relatively small torque applied either through manual lever 40 or applied by spring 52, all of the valves are constructed in a manner rendering the same substantially completely balanced to pressure. In other words, all of the surfaces on the inlet valves which tend to move the same in the closed direction are balanced to inlet pressure in the inlet manifold 28a by being provided with corresponding or equivalent surfaces urging i the valves in the opposite direction. This very desirable balanced construction of the valves forms the subject matter of a separate patent application and no specific claim is made thereto aside from the present combination. It is essential for the purpose of the present case to note that all of the valves are identical and include an externally threaded sleeve insert 64 formed with a valve seat 66 and receiving a closure piston-like member 68 in turn formed with a cy lindrical chamber having the same diameter as that of seat 66 and receiving a piston portion I2 extending rearwardly from the back face of the valve proper I4. A donut seal 16 is interposed between the piston I2 and the cylinder 70, as well as a donut seal I8 being interposed between the closure member 68 and its supporting sleeve. Closure member 68 is confined in installed position by means of a snap ring 80.

It is important in connection with the present invention to note the novel manner in which a plurality of distributor valve assemblies are arranged in series to supply a corresponding plurality of motive means in succession. Referring again to Fig. 1, outlet 3I from the first distributor valve assembly I4 of the series leads through conduit H2 to inlet manifold I28a of. the second distributor valve assembly II4 of the series. It is important that the outlet 3I be disposed below unloading and loading valve 36 in the relation shown in order that the second distributor valve assembly II4 be under the control of the unloading and loading valves 35. It will be apparent that as many successive distributor valve assemblies as desired may be placed in series by arranging the outlet from a preceding distributor valve assembly to a succeeding one in the manner described in connection with outlet 3I of first distributor valve I 4. Return fluid is led from each distributor valve assembly back to the sump tank through lines corresponding to line I8 for the first distributor valve assembly I4 and line II 8 shown dotted for the second distributor valve assembly I Id. In order to render the units I4 and IId readily applicable for either individual or series installation it is merely necessary to selectively employ a long or a short threaded closure plug in cooperation with unloading valve 36. A long threaded closure plug 3Ia functions to properly close oif the outlet from unloading valve 36 of housing I4 and prevents the same from returning through line I8 to sump tank 22 thus forcing the discharge from valve 36 to pass through outlet 3I and line II2 to the second distributor valve lit. On the other hand, the final or end distributor valve unit H4 is provided with a short threaded closure plug I3Ia allowing the discharge from distributor valve I36 to pass through the housing outlet I30 and return line I I8 back to the sump tank 22. An additional closure I3Ib prevents fluid from valve I36 being discharged from the outlet I3I. It will readily appear that in the event it is desired to add an additional unit in series, then short plug I3Ia will be replaced by a longer closure plug similar to (Ho and closure I3I b will be removed and port I3I will be connected to the inlet manifold of such subsequent distributor valve unit.

From the above it will be seen that where a plurality of distributor valve units such as I4 and I I4 are connected in series, the pilot or operator may turn all of the operating handles corresponding to handle 40 to on position in the selected direction and the respective units will opcrate in sequence with no over-lapping of opera- ,distributor valve to the motor associated therewith and by virtue of the fact that unloading valve 36 is closed, no fluid will be delivered to subsequent units until the manual leve- 40 has been automatically returned to neutral position by the operation of piston 54 and spring 40a. Following the return of manual lever 40 to neutral position and the opening of unloadin valve 36 pressure will then be delivered through conduit I2 to the second distributor valve assembly H4 in series and by virtue of the fact that unloading valve I36 is closed, and the selected distributor valve opened pressure fluid will be delivered to the second motor unit (not shown). This sequence of operation will be repeated for each distributor valve assembly in series.

While our invention has beendisclosed in connection with certainspecific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of example and not limitation and that our invention is to be defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An arrangement for controlling the selected delivery of fluid pressure from a continuously driven fluid pressure generator to an intermittently operated fluid pressure responsive motor and returning the same to the inlet of said generator, said arrangement including means defining a pair of alternatively operable selector valves eifective when open to deliver. pressure from said;

generator to the respective sides of said motor, means defining a pair of alternatively operable return valveseffective when open to return pressure fluid from the opposite side of said motor to said generator inlet, all of said valves being normally in the closed position, entrapping fluid on both sides of said motor, means defining a generator loading and unloading valve effective when open to by-pass pressure fluid from the inlet of said generator around said selector dEIiV. ery valves back to the inlet of said generator and effective when closed to cause said generator to build up pressure for delivery to said selector delivery valves, said loading and unloading valve beingnormally in the open position, rotatable manual means effective to simultaneously operate a selected delivery valve and return valve to the open position thereof while moving said loading and unloading valve to the closed position thereof, locking means maintaining said rotat-' able manual means in selected positions comprising a cylinder, a piston-like detent reciprocable in said cylinder, spring means urging said detent into locking position with respect to said rotatable manual means, means supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder for effecting movement of said detent in a direction to unlock said rotatable manual means, and means adapted to return said rotatable manual means to a neutral position upon withdrawal of said detent.

2. An arrangement for controlling the selective delivery of pressure fluid from a continuously driven fluid pressure generator to an intermittently operated pressure fluid responsive motor said generator,

fluid from the outlet of said generator back to the inlet of said generator and effective when closed to cause said generator to build up pressure for delivery by said'delivery valves, arcuately adjustable manual means rotatably movable in opposite directions and effective to selectively operate either said first delivery valve or said second delivery valve and the corresponding return valve to the open positions thereof as Well as to operate said loading and unloading valve to the closed position thereof a cylinder, a piston-like detent adapted for reciprocation in said cylinder, spring means urging said detent into locking relation with said manual means, means responsive to the development of a predetermined delivery oressure for automatically releasing said detent from said manual means, and, positive acting spring means for effecting the return of said manual means to neutral position opening said loading and unloading valve and closing said delivery and return valves.

'3. An arrangement for controlling the selective delivery of fluid pressure from a continuously operating fluid pressure generator to an intermittently operated fluid pressure responsive motor and returning the same to the inlet of said arrangement including means defining a first deliveryvalve balanced to inlet pressure for delivering pressure to a first side of said motor for operation in one direction, means defining a first return valve for returning pressure from a second side of said motor back to said pressure generator, means defining a second delivery valve balanced to inlet pressure effective to deliver pressure to the said second side of said motor for operation in the opposite direction, and means defining a second return valve for returning pressure from said first side of said motor to said enerator, means defining an unloadingvalve balanced against inlet pressure from said generator effective when open to unload said pressure generator from the outlet back to the inlet thereof and effective when closed to cause said generator to build up pressure for delivery to said delivery valves, rotatable manual means effective by movement in opposite arcuate directions beyond a neutral position to selectively operate said first delivery valve and first return valve or said second delivery valve and said second return valve, depending upon the direction in which it is desired to operate said motor, said unloading valve beingoperable by said manual means to closed position in either direction of movement thereof away from neutral position to cause said generator to build up the requisite pressure and deliver the same to said motor, a cylinder, a piston-like detent adapted for reciprocation in said cylinder, spring means urging said detent into locking relation with said manual means means responsive to the development of a predetermined maximum pressure by said fluid generator effective to automatically release said detent from said manual means, and positive act- 8 ing spring means for returning said manual mearis to the neutral. position causing the opening of said unloading valve to unload said generator and effective to move said delivery and return valves to closed position entrapping fluid pressure on both sides of said motor for holding the same in the position to which it has been moved. a

4. An arrangement for controlling the selective delivery of pressure fluid from a continuously driven fluid pressure generator to an intermittently operated fluid pressure responsive motor and returning the fluid to the inlet of said generator, said arrangement comprising an elongated housing having spaced longitudinal bores defining inlet and return manifolds arranged with their axes parallel and communicatin respectively with inlet and outlet ports in said housing; an intermediate longitudinal bore in said housing defining a shaft bearing with its axis parallel with said manifolds; a plurality of pairs of valve assemblies, a valve in each pair being balanced against inlet pressure from said generator and being arranged to operate in opposition to the other valve of the same pair for controlling'the respective inlet and return manlfolds'; a shaft rotatable in said bearing bore, said shaft having a plurality of cam elements each ofwhich is adapted to alternatively operate the respective valves of each pair of valves; unloading valve means balanced against inlet pressure from said generator and adapted to be opened by a cam on said shaft, whereby said unloading valve is effective to unload fiuid pressure from said inlet manifold; manual means operable in opposite directions for rotating said shaft from a neutral position to a position to effect selective operation of each of the aforesaid valves; locking means for releasably maintaining said shaft in any of its selected positions; fluid pressure actuated means responsive to predetermined generator pressure for releasing said locking means; and positive acting spring means for returning said'shaft to neutral position upon the release of said locking means by said fluid pressure actuated means.

5. An arrangement as defined in claim 4, wherein the shaft locking and releasing means compri e a cylinder, a piston-like detent adapted for reciprocation in said cylinder, spring means urging said detent into shaft-locking position, and means supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder for moving the detent in a direction to unlock the shaft.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Benaway May 22, 1945 

